“I have traded my youthful panic for something far more powerful: a system. Experience is a gift. It teaches you that panic doesn’t solve problems, planning does. Calm thinking does. Systems do.”- Ms Evelyn
Let’s stop treating love like a finite resource.
In a world obsessed with productivity and milestones, we often treat our hearts like bank accounts; afraid to “spend” too much love, saving it only for the “rare” moments.
But I’ve learnt that the finish line of “perfection” keeps moving and life is far too short to leave love unsaid. This year, I am making a radical choice: to be present and to love with abandon.
“Some friends tell me I use the word ‘love’ too freely… But I believe the opposite is true. Love isn’t diminished by abundance, it multiplies. The world doesn’t need less love; it’s desperate for more.”
Lighting someone else’s candle doesn’t make yours go out; it just makes the world brighter. This 2026, let’s choose connection over achievement and presence over perfection.
Be brave enough to be “too much” today. Happy New Year xx
When someone you know is counting breaths, you stop counting achievements. When you watch people fight to stay alive, you realise that being alive is the achievement.
I learnt the hard way that not everyone is honest. Not everyone who smiles at you is your friend. I got disappointed repeatedly by broken promises, by gossip disguised as concern, by friends who only showed up when it benefited them.
I led a very sheltered life growing up. My father was strict; rules for everything, structure always, freedom rarely. So, when I finally left for college at 17, I was like a bird released from a cage into an endless sky, utterly bewildered about which direction to fly.
There I was, feverish and debilitated, setting up my third load of laundry at 11pm on a Friday night. Who optimises laundry schedules while running a fever? Apparently, I DO.
Some people dismiss friendship as unimportant; they believe that having friends is nice but not having them is “also not an issue.” But I say this: those people have simply never encountered a real friend. If they had, those words would never leave their mouths.
Some people dismiss friendship as unimportant; they believe that having friends is nice but not having them is “also not an issue.” But I say this: those people have simply never encountered a real friend. If they had, those words would never leave their mouths.
We constantly find ourselves stuck in this holding pattern, waiting for the “right moment” or the “perfect circumstance.” But honestly, what is the right moment for us to take action? The truth is, some of the best things in life never happen simply because we waited too long.
High standards are not demands — they’re boundaries that protect our peace. Discover more inspiring thoughts from Ms Evelyn Chen in her newest blog post for ILTI entitled “The Power of “High Standards”: Why Settling Is NOT An Option”!
At ILTI, we don’t settle for “good enough” as we aim for growth, respect, and a future full of possibility through English fluency.